Teresa Giudice Pleads Guilty To Fraud Charges: ‘I Am Heartbroken’

The stars of ‘The Real Housewives of New Jersey’ pleaded guilty on March 3 to several of the charges against them in federal court, and HollywoodLife.com spoke to Teresa’s attorney immediately following the emotional hearing.

Joe Giudice and Teresa Giudice have changed their tune. Despite pleading not guilty to fraud charges in November, they’ve now reversed their word and plead guilty in exchange for a plea deal. The reality stars have been charged with 41 counts of fraud, ranging from making false statements to illegally obtaining loans and evading taxes — and on March 4 Joe, 39, and Teresa, 41, plead guilty to “multiple” fraud charges.

Joe & Teresa Giudice Plead Guilty To Fraud Charges

The stars entered the Newark Federal Court and did not seem very happy. We can’t blame them, because Joe is facing almost four years in jail — and Teresa could spend around two years in the slammer if convicted, too.

Teresa’s attorney released her statement to HollywoodLife.com immediately following their court hearing:

“Today, I took responsibility for a series of mistakes I made several years ago. I have said throughout that I respect the legal process and thus I intend to address the Court directly at sentencing. I will describe the choices I made, continue to take responsibility for my decisions, and express my remorse to Judge Salas and the public. I am heartbroken that this is affecting my family–especially my four young daughters, who mean more to me than anything in the world. Beyond this, I do not intend to speak specifically about the case outside of court, at the recommendation of my attorney and out of deference to the Government and our legal system.”

So sad. Teresa could go to jail for up to 27 months, and Joe now faces 46 months in jail. Teresa will also reportedly be put on five years of probation, though there is a silver lining — Joe will not be deported back to Italy.

It’s unsure how much time, if any, either of them will spend in jail, but their sentencing will be held on July 8.

Joe & Teresa Will Go To Jail — Says Top Attorney

HollywoodLife.com spoke with top attorney Vikki Ziegler, who told us that there is a “strong” chance that the couple will go to jail.

“It is a strong likelihood that either or both may have to spend time in jail,” Vikki says.

Teresa’s attorney released the following statement at the time of their Oct. 2013 court date: “We will help Teresa prepare her defense and Joe’s attorneys will do the same for him. In the meantime, they are caring for their kids, getting them ready for school, and doing all the other things families do.”

HollywoodLife.com reached out to Joe and Teresa’s lawyers for comment. HollywoodLifers, do you think Joe and Teresa will end up going to jail?